Pats claim veteran pass-rusher off waivers from Ravens

Pats claim veteran pass-rusher off waivers from Ravens originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The New England Patriots added an experienced pass-rusher to their defense on Friday.

Yannick Ngakoue was claimed off waivers from the Baltimore Ravens. Baltimore cut the 29-year-old edge rusher after Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline.

Ngakoue started his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars after being selected in the third round of the 2016 draft. He has since spent time with the Minnesota Vikings, Ravens, Las Vegas Raiders, Indianapolis Colts, and Chicago Bears. In 2017, he was selected to the Pro Bowl after tallying a career-high 12 sacks and a league-leading six forced fumbles. He has 70.5 sacks over nine NFL seasons.

The Patriots’ pass rush has been among the team’s many glaring issues this season. The defense has been short-handed since trading veteran edge rusher Matthew Judon to the Atlanta Falcons and losing defensive tackle Christian Barmore indefinitely due to blood clots. New England also parted ways with outside linebacker Joshua Uche in a deadline deal with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Ngakoue has 1.5 sacks and seven total pressures through five games this season. He’ll look to give the Pats pass rush a much-needed boost alongside fellow edge defenders Keion White, Deatrich Wise, Anfernee Jennings, and Ochaun Mathis.

The Patriots will visit the Chicago Bears for their Week 10 matchup Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.